Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State has promised that his administration will ensure a smooth transition of local government autonomy following the recent judgment of the Supreme Court.
Radda made the pledge in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Mohammed, issued in Abuja on Saturday.
The apex court had granted full autonomy to the 774 local governments in the country as stipulated in the 1999 Constitution (amended).
The seven-man panel in a unanimous decision agreed that it is illegal and unconstitutional for governors to continue to receive or retain funds allocated to the local governments.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the apex court declared that the power of the government is divided into three arms namely the federal, state and local governments.
The court further declared that a state government cannot elect a caretaker committee, adding that a local government council is only recognisable with a democratically elected government.
In Saturday’s statement, Radda said that he decided after he convened a meeting to discuss the implications of the judgment in line with the Constitution.
According to him, it was no secret that local governments in Katsina State had already been enjoying a significant level of autonomy long before now.
He said, “I did not call to interpret the judgment. Katsina State is a law-abiding state and will operate under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I have asked the state attorney general to give me a full report on the legal implications of the Supreme Court’s decision.
“As you know, I was once the chairman of Charanchi Local Government during the administration of our beloved President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. I was involved in the day-to-day administration of my local government, and I am fully aware of the challenges and pains most of you are facing.
“We have already carried out party primaries in line with electoral best practices, and some current chairmen will return through a democratic process. Insha Allah, in this dispensation, we are most likely the only state to transition from one democratically elected local government council to another.”
“I have set up a committee comprising state, local government, and state assembly representatives along with other experts to formulate a way forward.”
